Remnants of the Fourth Heaven's Feel
by Gaeshi
Summary: Set in an AU where Kiritsugu entrusts the duty of destroying the grail, should it ever reawaken, to Shiro.  Rendition of Heaven's Feel 5 and focuses more on how F/SN was influenced by the events of F/Z. Ninth chapter up as soon as the site adds it...
1. I The Masters

There was a fire. A fire that seemingly started for no reason, but in a matter of seconds, consumed the entire neighbourhood. Local authorities would later blame the fire on a natural gas leak, but that didn't really consolidate things for Shiro. After all, it was a fire that killed everyone he knew and one that should've killed him too.

But he was saved.

And from that day on, he regarded his saviour as his idol, his model, and above all else, his father. That's why Shiro Emiya will do whatever it takes to fulfill Kiritsugu's dream of becoming a hero of justice—even if it means the possibility of dying in the next few days.

* * *

><p>"Umm…Senpai?"<p>

A quiet voice interrupted Shiro's contemplation. Surprised, Shiro turned in his seat to face the girl sitting behind him. She was pale in complexion, with long, violet hair. Worry was etched on her face, along with a slight blush that she always seemed to have when talking to Shiro.

"Oh, hi Sakura. I didn't notice you coming back from lunch" said Shiro with a sheepish laugh.

"That's quite alright senpai. I just came in a few seconds ago and saw you staring blankly, and I was wondering if something was wrong…?"

The sound of stilettos on the ground made Sakura stop in the middle of her sentence. Looking around, everyone else stopped talking as well, and began scrambling about. Some were busy getting back to their seats, while others hurriedly ordered their desks while looking at the door with apprehension.

A few seconds later, all the hustle and bustle stopped and a tall brunette walked into the room. Dressed in a loose-fitting blouse with a matching black mini-skirt, her stern expression was the picture of discipline. After calmly surveying the room, Ms. Aoi gave a satisfactory nod and began organizing her belongings around her desk. Shiro could understand the sudden silence; to say that Ms. Aoi was a master of controlling the class was a great understatement. No one dared to make a noise, or appear disorganized in front of her; after all, Ms. Aoi was a master of punishments…as one student will soon find out.

The muffled sound of Namikai Ozayashi's latest single sounded somewhere at the back of the room. Shiro cringed; he knew what happened to students who forgot to turn off their cell-phone in class.

Yet strangely, the anticipated yelling, scolding and hour-long lectures did not come. Instead, Ms. Aoi raised a lazy eye to look at a particularly suspicious looking girl sitting in the third row, before clearing her throat and beginning her lesson.

Strange indeed. There was a time when Ms. Aoi was nothing but smiles and soft-spoken words, but that was before her husband cheated on her with a relatively famous, local celebrity a few months ago. Since then, her temper explodes at the slightest provocations, and she hasn't let any rule-breaker off easy. Until now that is.

However, the strange behaviour of a homeroom teacher really wasn't much of a concern to a magus like Shiro – especially not to one that is about to perform _that _ceremony later tonight.

Author's Note: My first fan-fic evarrrrr! I know this chapter is a bit short but hopefully it laid an appropriate foundation for the rest of the chapters to follow.

As always, review, review, review! I already have a basic idea of how the story will turn out, but I'm open to all inputs too. =)


	2. II The Three Begining Families

Rin Tohsaka would always remember that day. The day when Kirei Kotomine broke the truth to her.

Dressed in his typical black priest uniform, Kirei appeared as per usual. However, his solemn face betrayed the tragic news that he just told the little girl standing in front of him.

Rin was silent for awhile. When she finally spoke, her little face was numb and her voice was devoid of emotions.

"Father did well."

While Kirei had always known that the girl was brought up as a magus of the highest calibre, her response had still shocked him. He had hoped to relish in the girl's despair, hoped to see her tainted with anger and hatred, but he received no such pleasure from Rin's calm acceptance. And this annoyed Kirei to no end. However, from this annoyance sprouted a new idea and Kirei began to chuckle to himself.

"_It is a great thing that I am her guardian. There will be no greater pleasure than to wilt this flower with my own hands."_

Rin remembered crying later that day. After all, her father had always told her that a magus should never show a moment of weakness to their enemies, and to her, Kirei was definitely an enemy—the one she holds accountable for her father's death.

But what she said that day wasn't entirely false. For someone brought up as a magus, such losses were expected. To her, Tokiomi had died to protect the family's honour and there was no greater consolation than that. Furthermore, as the head of the Tohsaka family, nothing less is expected from her.

Sitting on her leather sofa and starring at the command mantra's on her hand, Rin contemplated the various possible outcomes of the Holy War. Then, shaking her head, she madeher rounds through the Tohsaka mansion, fortifying the magical defences already present. For a perfectionist like Rin, there was no time to waste.

* * *

><p>Illyasviel Von Einzbern bounded up the steps of her new home for the next few days. The castle seemed very musty and stuffy to her, but who was she to complain? Everything had been arranged by Grandpa Acht, and he wasn't someone you could argue with.<p>

"Ms. Illya, you mustn't run up the stairs like so. It's unladylike and dangerous."

A lady dressed in a white robe and hat appeared behind Illya. Based on her appearance, one could say that she is a young woman in her mid-twenties but looks are deceiving, especially considering her identity as an Einzbern homunculus. In fact, she is only around two years old.

"Aww, but Sella…" whined Illya.

"No complaining. The ceremony is tonight and there are still some important alchemy lessons that we have to go through. Lord Jubstacheit won't be pleased if you fail your function as a master."

With this, Sella began dragging the kicking and screaming Illya by the hand towards the room behind her.

* * *

><p>"Everything we have done in the past 10 years has been for this day. When the Grail war is over, I expect nothing less than complete victory Sakura."<p>

Sitting in front of Sakura was an old, decrepit shell of a man. While he laboured as he spoke each word, his unmistakeable aura made it impossible for others to dismiss him as just another geezer alive well after his time. Listening intently, Sakura's back stiffened at his last words.

"I will try my best grandfather."

"As you should. However, in the case of this war, your best will not be enough. In order to crush the opposition, power well beyond what you are capable of is required." At this, the old man gave a sly smile before continuing.

"That's why I must have you summon a berserker servant, just as that failure Kariya did."

At the mention of her uncle's name, Sakura shuddered slightly. Matou Kariya's name had been a subject of taboo in her household ever since his embarrassing defeat in the last grail war. Even so, he was the only person who had shown Sakura any kindness while she stayed at the house—needless to say, he meant a lot to her.

"In accordance with that, you'll need to add three more lines to the summoning aria. Controlling a berserker servant might prove to be a little difficult at first…but I trust that you can handle a little pain?"

Giving a slight nod, Sakura resigned herself to Zouken's plans. That's just the way things worked in the Matou household.

Satisfied, Zouken made a sign for Sakura to leave. However, Zouken's voice rang out once again when she was about to step through the door.

"The head of the Tohsaka family…Rin. What do you plan to do with her if the grail war places her at your mercy?"

Sakura's response was immediate and flat, "I will do whatever you tell me to, grandfather."

It was a learned response, one that Sakura figured Zouken would want to hear. But Zouken didn't remain the head of the Matou house all these years for nothing. He sensed the apprehension in her voice, but chose not to comment on it. After all, there was nothing he could do to sever the connection between the sisters in such a short time. Even with that in mind, Zouken couldn't help but give a little chuckle at Sakura's naivety.

"_Little does she know that I have a backup plan…_"

Authors Note: Second chapter, complete =D I tried to keep things as realistic to the character as possible, but there may be things here and there that I can do better at, so comment, review, and message!


	3. III The Ceremony

"I, will become a hero of justice!"

Looking down at the starry-eyed Shiro sitting under him, Kiritsugu felt a pang of nostalgia deep within himself. He had once said those same words to the person that was more important to him than anyone else. But in the end, Kiritsugu failed to hold up the promise.

Chuckling painfully at Shiro's naivety, Kiritsugu went on.

"To save one, you must lose another. Such is the way of the world. Are you willing to make such sacrifices?"

Shiro pondered this for a while, but his young mind just couldn't grasp the concept of sacrifice. In his mind, there was nothing that Kiritsugu couldn't do, and being his son, Shiro must live up to the same expectation.

"That's a simple one dad. I'll just save them all!"

Initially, Kiritsugu could only shake his head at the simplicity of Shiro's words. However, as he remembered his past, he realized that he used to be the same way.

Which means that Shiro will grow into the same person that Magus Killer Kiritsugu used to be.

The very idea gave Kiritsugu both hope and despair. He would never wish that life onto anybody, but if Shiro could shoulder what he once did, he would have a fail-safe in case the Grail wars erupted once more before its destruction by his bump and the subsequent earthquake.

"Shiro. What I'm about to tell you might destroy your life. Do you still want me to continue?"

Unhesitatingly, Shiro nodded his head.

Unsurprised, Kiritsugu went on.

* * *

><p>As Shiro recounted the events of that day, his heart gave a little nervous jump. After all, he was about to set out on the same mission that his father once did.<p>

It was a beautiful night. A night that Shiro had waited for since he first received the command mantras a week ago. The moon and stars shone brilliantly and a slight breeze stirred the trees. The only thing out of place was the cacophony of noises created by the chickens as they watched Shiro slaughter one of their kin.

It can't be helped. The ritual of spiritual evocation required fresh blood to draw the circle. Of course, substitutions can be made, but Shiro had no such luxuries.

Using red paint, Shiro had practiced the procedure many times before; the ceremony was, after all, of utmost importance. However, a shiver still went down his spine as Shiro dipped his hand into the pool of chicken blood. Using the blood of a living thing rebelled against his ideals and completely unnerved him.

Sighing to himself, Shiro began drawing the circle, all the while chanting the rehearsed aria.

" _Ye first, O silver, O iron  
>O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract<br>Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg"_

At this point, it almost felt like the blood was guiding Shiro's hand, instead of the other way around. It crafted perfect circles in a way that made Shiro think that the blood wanted to complete the ritual, to summon the epic spirit of the Grail.

"_Let the descending winds be as a wall  
>Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve.<br>Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.  
>Five perfections for each repetition.<br>And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead."_

Shiro could now feel his prana being drained by the ritual. While starting small, the amount of energy required started to take its toll on Shiro. Shutting his eyes, Shiro continued.

"_Set.  
>Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade.<br>If thou submittest to the call of the Holy Grail and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond.  
>I make my oath here."<em>

At this point, not only was Shiro suffering from the overuse of his magic circuits, but even the prana gathered around the air itself began beating down him. Faltering, it took Shiro's entire willpower to continue.

"_I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heavens.  
>I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades."<em>

Suddenly, Shiro felt his breathing steady and a bright light erupt from his back. Indeed, it was the Emiya family crest that had awakened, choosing that moment to support Shiro's thaumaturgy, to guide Shiro to the end of the ritual.

"_Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,  
>come past thy restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance…"<em>

Ending his chant, Shiro felt himself continuously buffeted by a huge gust of wind, with the summoning circle at its center. Lightning struck from cloudless skies—almost as if a gash had been ripped in the world.

And from that gash, an ethereal figure came into view.

Slowly gaining material form, the lone warrior raised his head to look at the bright light erupting from Shiro's command mantra. Turning to face Shiro, his suave voice rang out.

"I ask thee, art thou the Master that called me?"

* * *

><p>AN: Yup, you read correctly. Nope, Shiro didn't summon Saber this time around (though if you continue reading, I promise fans of the pairing won't be disappointed).<p>

Now who could that mysterious new servant be? Hmm…

As always, review, PM, comment, w/e you know the drill.


	4. IV The Einzbern's Move

"I ask thee, art thou the Master that called me?"

From within the mercury summoning circle, a lone maiden walked out. Dressed in a regal blue dress with matching silver armour, the blonde's beauty and noble lineage was unmistakable.

Looking at her face, Illya recalled her memories of this girl. Saber had been summoned during the fourth Heaven's Feel by the Von Einzberns using the legendary sheath, Avalon. Her master at the time, Kiritsugu Emiya, was Illya's father and son-in-law of the prestigious Von Einzbern family. Together, the pair left for the Fuyuki Grail War. While Illya wasn't sure of the specifics, it is widely known among the household that Saber performed remarkably well, and almost succeeded in attaining the Grail. At the last minute however, Kiritsugu betrayed the family and had her destroy the Grail.

While the family had lost Avalon, a new artefact—a fragment of King Arthur's mantle—was used as the summoning connection to Saber.

Stepping forward from the shadows of the castle walls, Illyasviel revealed herself to Saber.

"Yes. I am your master, and the one you must protect in this war."

Observing her diminutive master, Saber's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Irisviel?"

Hearing her mother's name from this newly summoned servant surprised Illya. While Saber had met her mother during the previous war, her memory should've been erased after the end of Heaven's Feel Four. To be more exact, the memories of the replicated Saber should not have been transmitted to her actual body in Akasha.

"_I'll have to question her later about her memories. But as of right now, what she knows doesn't really matter."_

Gathering herself, Illya proceeded in her typical cheery tone.

"My name is Illyasviel Von Einzbern. The homunculus you speak of was my late mother who died in the previous grail war. All that shouldn't be a concern to you."

Illya's revelations shocked Saber. Ten years ago, Saber had sworn a vow on her honour as a knight to protect Irisviel. It went further than that though. Irisviel had been the only person that Saber felt connected to during the last war. It is no surprise, then, that Irisviel's death would shake Saber like so.

Paying no attention to Saber's pained expression, Illya went on.

"Now that we have that settled, the first order of business is to inform you of our first mission. Based on your words earlier, you seem to have full recollection of what happened during the last Grail war. Thus, you should also remember Kiritsugu Emiya's last command to you."

Pausing for effect, Illya giggled to herself when she saw Saber's hands tighten around the hilt of her blade.

"With that last act, Kiritsugu Emiya not only betrayed his servant, but the entire Von Einzbern family as well. Needless to say, we have waited patiently for our revenge, and the time is now. Normally, Grandpa Acht doesn't like to get his hands dirty with these things, but we have received word that Kiritsugu Emiya's son, Shiro Emiya has been selected as a master in this war. He will be our first target. With his death, not only will Grandpa Acht be appeased, but we will have rid ourselves of a pesky master"

Still smiling, Illya ended her mini-speech. Illya had specifically tailored her words to appeal to Saber's thirst for revenge. After all, her entire plan depended on Saber's full-hearted cooperation.

"Very well, if that is what my master commands."

Surprisingly, Saber did not seem to relish in her opportunity for revenge. Instead, she had only nodded her head, as if she was only doing what was necessary to appease her master.

Lips curling in distaste, Illya pouted out the specifics of her commands.

"We will be leaving for the Emiya residence immediately. Since riding is one of your class skills, I have prepared a vehicle for transportation. Once there, I can only assume that Shiro has already summoned a servant, but for a Saber servant like yourself, random nobody's shouldn't be a problem. With that being said, the goal of tonight's attack is the death of the servant and Shiro Emiya's capture. You are, under no circumstances, allowed to kill Shiro. After all, there's so much more we can do with a live body than a corpse."

Nodding once, Saber made her way to the vehicle Illya described. Giggling all the while, Illya followed suit.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Lalala, hopefully not too many people are disappointed with Illya's summoning of Saber. With that being said, get ready for a introduction to a familiar character in the next chapter =D<p>

As always, comment, review, PM, yadayadayada 3


	5. V The First Bout

"The identities of the masters of Lancer, and Assassin have been found. Even though their bases are completely secured, I have managed to deduce the servant type and masters of the Three Original Families as well. The only one that continues to elude me is the master of the Rider servant. It seems like the person is very well versed in barrier magecraft and remains hidden from my orb. That is all I have to report, master."

The cloaked figure looked up expectantly at her master as she finished her report. Her master says nothing, merely entertaining herself with stirring her cup of coffee. After a good five minutes Ayano Aoi gave her response.

"One servant does not make too much of a difference in our plans. Create the barriers as we originally planned. We must stockpile a lot of power in a very short time span, so get going. In the meantime, I have some business to take care of, so I'll leave that in your care. I trust that you won't disappoint me, Caster."

While Aoi's tone was disciplined and harsh, Caster's mood was uplifted when she received her commands. Smiling, she gave a bow and vanished from view.

As she made her way around the halls of the school, Caster's considered the viable barrier options.

Outside the window of the school, a full moon shone.

As Caster observed the way the windows distorted the moon's light, a slight irregularity caught her attention.

"To spy on a magus in her own workshop; you really have no manners Assassin."

Hearing her words, a previously invisible figure appeared on the ceiling in front of Caster. Garbed in a black, skin-tight suit and wearing a white skull-shaped face-mask, the intruder appeared less human and more like a wandering wraith.

Not surprised in the slightest, Caster raised a finger, and from it, a flurry of light erupted. As if guided by an invisible force, the rays of light homed in on Assassin.

Body tensed, Assassin leapt from his spot, landing on a tile behind Caster. Pulling out a small black dagger, he swung his hands towards her blind spot.

Only to be stopped by an invisible force. Looking at his feet, Assassin saw the tile light up. Paralyzed by the light, Assassin could do nothing as he saw the smirking Caster turn to face him.

"To have so little combat ability…even for an Assassin servant, you are pitiful. Though I guess you can have your uses."

An iridescent dagger materialized in Caster's hands, and flashing once, sunk deep into Assassin's flesh.

Beneath his mask, Assassin's eyes widened at the pain. A bright light flashed at the point of contact, and suddenly, three command mantras appeared on Caster's hands. Gloatingly, Caster said,

"I'm sure you understand what just transpired, Assassin. My Rule Breaker is capable of breaking any and all magical contracts. From now on, I am your master."

"Of course I realize what happened, as do all my comrades. Even as we speak, I'm sure that they have already killed my previous incompetent master."

This was the first time that Caster heard Assassin's raspy voice. Confused, she asked,

"Your comrades? Explain yourself servant."

Giving a shrug, Assassin went on.

"You commented on this earlier when you said that I have very low combat ability. The reason for that lies in my Noble Phantasm, which allows me to detach multiple versions of myself as individual Assassins. While each Assassin has a specialty, my power weakens for each Assassin I detach."

Hearing this, Caster smiled. It seems she has herself an useful servant.

* * *

><p>The Mage's Association had taken a disliking to the Holy Grail War's ever since its creation. Its power was seen as too great and methods too violent. It was only for two reasons that the Association hadn't made a move.<p>

The first was the fear of offending the magician Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, who had first started the Grail Wars. The second was the possibility that the Grail might lead the world to Akasha, the root of all things.

However, after over two centuries, the Association has finally lost its patience with the Grail, and so, they set out to destroy it.

The person tasked with this was specifically selected based on his personal experience in the Fourth Heaven's Feel. In fact, Lord El-Melloi II had made it into the final four during the War—an impressive feat considering the unique circumstances.

And so, Waver Velvet made his way back to Japan to participate once again in the death match known as the Heaven's Feel.

* * *

><p>"Waver, it's almost midnight. Why don't you go get yourself some sleep?"<p>

An old lady's voice interrupted Waver's trail of thought but he quickly yelled out his reply.

"I have some important business to take care of for tomorrow, so I'll be up a bit later than usual. I'll try not to make too much noise, so you can go ahead and sleep."

At this, Martha Mackenzie gave a sigh of exasperation and hobbled off to bed. It was only natural for a youngster of Waver's age to be pulling all-nighters once in a while—but that doesn't mean Martha has to like it.

Ever since Glen's peaceful passing a few years ago, Martha had been left completely alone. It is no wonder then, that she was extremely excited when she heard of her grandson's visit.

This visit turned out to be a lot like the last one, with Waver being as busy as ever, but Martha didn't mind.

"_Youngsters will do what they always do."_

With that comforting thought, the old lady tucked herself in and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Hey, boy. Bring me to the archive already. War preparations must be made, and time cannot be wasted."<p>

As if to emphasize his point, the hulking frame in Waver's room brought a meaty hand down on the table.

"_I'm really glad that I put a barrier around this room. Martha would definitely have been woken up by this ruckus otherwise."_

Sighing to himself, Waver comported himself in what he believed to be the appropriate posture and addressed Rider.

"Look Rider, the library visit can wait until tomorrow. I don't want to be mistaken for a burglar again. For now, let me fill you in on the specifics of this War."

Even Rider understood the importance of being informed, and so he quieted down. Seeing this, Waver silently congratulated himself and went on. It was no small feat to convince a man like Rider. After all, he is the perfect replica of the man who conquered most of the known world in a few short years. The Waver Velvet of the past definitely could not have performed as well as he did now.

"I'll be frank with you. I am participating in this war partly because I was ordered by my superiors to destroy the Holy Grail. If you..."

A large thud interrupted Waver. It was Rider again, but this time without any of his previous goodwill. His voice full of killing intent, Alexander the Great stood up and glowered at Waver.

"To deprive a king of his treasure is the greatest of treasons. Boy, think carefully of what you say next."

Already anticipating this, Waver cleared his throat before going on.

"The thing is, your wish for the Grail is something that can be easily done without it. You wish for a body to conquer the world once again, and as a Master, I can provide that. As long as I provide you with sufficient mana, you will not disappear, even after this War."

Rider's eyes widened, and he went into a stage of silence.

"You know me well, boy. So all I have to do is make sure you survive until the end of this fight. Ha, your world is as good as mine."

Giving Waver a slap on his back, Rider began to laugh heartily.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Yay, first blood! Anyhow, I should probably explain why I brought Alexander back in FSN. Actually, I probably shouldn't because that'll spoil a lot of things that I have in store xD

Anyways, next chapter will reveal the identity of Shiro's new servant so stay tuned.

Also, I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on which servant to use for Rin. Atalanta from Fate/Apocrypha would be interesting but so would EMIYA. Any input on this will be welcomed =D

Finally, review, comment, pm. You guys know what to do! =)


	6. VI The Dreamer's Dream

He saw a man carrying a girl, running…

After a while, the man stopped and laid the injured girl down on the grassy plains. Turning to face the opposite direction, the knight (for that was surely who he is) readied his twin spears for the incoming assault. The unconscious girl could only whimper at her current discomfort.

At that moment, a loud bellow could be heard from within the woods. A bear soon came rushing out, its eyes fixed on the pair. Then, without any hesitation, it moved its mighty paws to strike at them.

Eyes fixed on the bear before him, the man nimbly leapt out of the way and struck out with one of his spears. It connected and gouged a deep wound on the bear's shoulders. With one arm incapacitated, the frenzied animal turned to maw him.

This time, the man did not make any attempt to dodge. He had already ascertained that the pain from the shoulder wound had weakened the bear considerably, and blocked the incoming assault with one of his spears. With the other, a stab to the head ended the bear's life.

Heaving a sigh of relief, the man walked away from the bear corpse to check on the girl. She was a fair-headed teen, though her skin was chalk-white. Sighing to himself, the man brought out his water flask and carefully had her drink some down.

The girl's condition quickly improved and color came back to her cheeks. Within a few minutes, she regained consciousness. Seeing this, the man got up to leave. However, a hand tugged at his, and stopped him.

Smiling, the girl said, "Sir, you were the one who saved me earlier right?"

"Yes, I was. As a knight of Fianna, there is no way that I can ignore a damsel in distress."

"I see. Well, a good deed deserves a good reward. You don't seem to be romantically involved yet, so my gift to you will be this."

Still smiling, the girl drags her still-hurt body up to look at her saviour. Then, she kissed the beauty spot on his cheek.

Surprised, the man recoiled at her touch. At that moment, a gust of wind blew, and the girl disappeared in the wind, leaving only an echo behind.

"_My gift to you…"_

* * *

><p>Gasping, Shiro woke up from his dream.<p>

The process of spiritual evocation drains the prana of the caster depending on the spirit summoned. Therefore, it is no wonder that an average magus like Shiro would be completely drained after summoning Lancer earlier that evening.

Thus, Shiro went to sleep early and left Lancer on guard duty…only to have experienced that vivid dream.

And while Shiro can't remember the specifics of his dream, there is one thing that he is certain of.

"_The man that I saw…is definitely Lancer!"_

Zipping up his jacket, Shiro made his way out his front door; he needed some time to process what he saw.

"Did you sleep well, Master?"

A black-haired man with handsome features materialised in front of Shiro. He was undoubtedly the epic spirit of the lance that Shiro summoned earlier that night.

"It was great. I feel totally refreshed, so I'm going to go for a little walk", Shiro lied,

"Oh, and stop calling me Master. It sounds so stuffy. From now on, I want you to call me by my first name."

Giving Shiro a smile, Lancer nodded his acceptance.

Smiling back, Shiro recounted his dream again. What did the girl gift Lancer? This question puzzled Shiro to no end.

"You seem to have a lot on your mind Shiro. In that case, a walk would probably be good for you. I'll accompany…"

Lancer stopped in the middle of his sentence and jerked his head towards the entrance of the Emiya residence. There, a black BMW had came to a screeching halt. The door of the luxury vehicle opened, and a fair headed maiden stepped out.

Even from a distance, her beauty and majesty was unmistakable. She was definitely a servant of the highest calibre, a Saber servant.

Stepping in front of Shiro in a protective stance, Lancer readied himself for Saber's assault.

When none came, Shiro asked, "Lancer…that girl…is she a servant?"

"Yes, I am sure of it. Stand back Shiro, if she doesn't take the initiative, we will. And do not worry. I will not disgrace my lord by losing in this duel."

Giving Shiro a confident smile, Lancer turned to face Saber and called out.

"I'm surprised to have to fight another knight servant so soon in the war. Hold nothing back Saber, here I come!"

With that, Lancer poised his twin spears and galloped towards the invading servant.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I bet no one expected Diarmuid Ua Duibhne to be Shiro's servant =D<p>

But if you think about it, it makes sense—he is the only servant who seeks the Grail only for the sake of serving his master—he is the only servant who would have no qualms with Shiro destroying the Grail. Plus, I feel really sorry for the way he died in Fate/Zero.

Asides from the expected Saber vs. Lancer, also expect some Shiro vs. Illya in the next chapter (yes, I gave them both some fighting abilities in this fanfic xD)

And I would still like some more input on which archer to use as Rin's servant. People brought up valid points (some more valid than others), but I still haven't made up my mind 100% yet.

As always, review, comment, PM ~


	7. VII The Bygone Regrets

Saber shuddered as she saw the face of her opponent. The joyful eyes, the roughly combed hair, and the tear-drop shaped beauty mark—this man is undoubtedly Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, First Knight of Fianna and the Lancer servant summoned during the Fourth Heaven's Feel.

At that time, Lancer had been one of the few opponents who Saber truly respected and considered as a rival—in another time, they might've even become the best of friends. In fact, the pair had sworn to die by each other's hands.

But even that simple wish was rejected. Lancer's heart was pierced in the middle of their duel—but the spear that struck him down was his own. On threat of death, Lancer's master had used a command mantra and ordered him to end his own life.

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><p>Flooded with memories of their previous encounters, it took all of Saber's remaining concentration to raise her invisible blade and block Lancer's first attack.<p>

Face held in a tight grimace, Lancer backed away from the dazed girl and landed in front of Shiro once again. Their positions had returned to the way they were, but Lancer had lost all of his former enthusiasm.

"The battleground is not a place for those with a wavering resolve. Slaying an opponent with a dull blade, do you truly want to dishonour me so?"

Saber hanged her head down at his words. Indeed, isn't a fair and honest fight the best recompense Saber can give? As if she finally made up her mind, Saber raised her head and gave Lancer a small smile. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but was interrupted.

"He's right you know. For the reputed "strongest servant", you are disappointing me."

A little girl's sulky voice could be heard from inside the luxury vehicle. Opening the door, Illya stepped onto the road, and began walking angrily towards her servant. Once there, her attitude changed completely as she turned to face Lancer and Shiro and gave a polite curtsy.

"Hello Lancer, Shiro. My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern, and to put it plainly, I'm here to kill you."

Hearing these dire words from the young girl in front of him surprised Shiro. He had never expected that a child would be participating in the Heaven's Feel…but that name…von Einzbern…

"_Ah yes, my old man did mention that family name. If I recall correctly, they were one of the three founding families of the Grail Wars."_

Right then, Shiro heard Lancer quietly whisper.

"Master, don't let down your guard. That little girl…she must be an incredibly adept magus for her to be able to summon and control Saber that well."

"Thanks Lancer. I'll keep that in mind."

With that said, Shiro grabbed a branch from off the ground and stepped forward to stand beside his servant. Narrowing his eyes, Lancer observed his master as Shiro reinforced the hardness of the branch. Wielding it like a sword, Shiro brought the branch in front of him.

"Lancer, I need you to hold Saber off for a bit. I'll try to take down the opposing master."

Giving his lord a trusting nod, Lancer rushed towards Saber again.

The sound of violent wind gusts interrupted Lancer's graceful gallop. Holding her invisible sword high above her head, Saber's serene face held a small smile.

Squinting his eyes, Lancer could make out the faint outline of a golden sword amidst the violent gale.

"_That blade must be her noble phantasm…but why would she reveal her identity to me?"_

As the thought flashed through Lancer's mind, the gale vanished as quickly as it appeared. Saber's blade was once again hidden by the compressed currents of Invisible Air. But her blade had been exposed for an instant, and that instant had been enough for Lancer to memorize the length, shape and make of the golden sword. With that in mind, he continued his attack.

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><p>Illya was really caught off guard when Saber released the seal on her Noble Phantasm—not only did the wind buffet her frail body, but had also awarded Lancer a quick glance of the true nature of her weapon. Illya would have to reprimand her for this later.<p>

However, this still does not change the difference of strength between the two. If need be, a single burst from Excalibur would be enough to kill Shiro's second rate servant. At least, that was the way Illya considered things. Her servant had been carefully picked out by the Head of the Einzbern family, and so, she must be the strongest of the strong. It never occurred to her that Saber might lose; not even after she lost the advantage of her invisible blade.

Not only does Illya have full confidence in her servant, but, unlike most Einzbern homunculi, her skills as a combat magus are also top-rate. It is no surprise then, that she didn't back away in the slightest when she saw Shiro run at her, sword in hand. Instead, she distanced herself from the fighting between Saber and Lancer and proceeded to remove a glass vial from her flowing coat.

Tipping the vial ever so slightly, a sliver of liquid dripped out. Filled with Illya's prana, the contents of the vial immediately dissipated and concealed Illya in a silvery mist.

Though a servant would have no problem discerning Illya's location, Shiro could only stop in his tracks as the mist clouded his vision.

"_Dammit. Where did she go?"_

From within the mist, Illya snickered at Shiro's obvious frustration. Eyes flashing dangerously, Illya walked towards her trapped prey.

Hearing the sounds of Illya's footsteps, Shiro frantically turned to face her general direction. Suddenly, two murderously red flashes stabbed through the mist. Faced with the light, Shiro could do nothing as he felt the strength in his body ebb away. Cursing his carelessness, Shiro's fading consciousness was filled with a single thought.

"_Is this really how it will all end?"_

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><p>Author's Note: Tadaaaa~<p>

Yup, I know Shiro's extremely useless right now, but hey, that should be expected, no?

Needless to say, the battle will continue in the next chapter. I'm aware that I'm fairly bad at writing these fight scenes, so any input/constructive criticism is welcomed. =D

Finally, PM, review, comment….as usual.


	8. VIII The Faker

"_Remember Shiro, a haughty Magus is a weak magus. Thus, all Magus's are at their weakest when they are certain of their victory."_

As Shiro recounted Kiritsugu's words, he was once again filled with hope and the clouds of indecision parted in his mind. While it's true that Illya's Mystic Eyes crippled his body, it did not stop the activity of his Magic Circuits. Shiro still had a few seconds before Illya could deliver the finishing blow…he just needed to figure out a way to escape her spell in that time.

With that in mind, Shiro activated all twenty-seven of his Magic Circuits. As prana flow resumed, he quickly began to recover from Illya's paralysis...but not quick enough, as the diminutive girl had scored a direct hit on his chest.

The impact shook Shiro's body considerably, and sent him hurtling against the walls of his residence. His shirt bloodied, it took all of Shiro's strength to stagger back on his feet. Illya's barbaric strength completely caught Shiro by surprise. It's not that he had expected Illya to perform only at the athletic level of a little girl—the fact is, reinforcement is considered a pretty principle spell for a magus—what disturbed him was just how strong Illya got. To be able to apply reinforcement to a living object is already hard enough; to be able to heighten her abilities to such extremes can mean only one thing.

"_She completely outclasses me as a magus."_

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><p>"Hmm…are you sure that you're human Shiro? That last punch should've shattered your rib cages…so why are you still conscious?"<p>

Perplexed, Illya observed her prey. Indeed, she had slightly held back her attack so that Shiro wouldn't be fatally damaged, but even so, he should've been incapacitated, or at least, very injured. To see him stand up after taking the hit, well, that's next to impossible for an average magus. What's more, if she observes closely, his wounds actually appear to be closing up rapidly. There's definitely an inhuman air around her target.

"_High-speed regeneration? But based on what he's shown me so far, he shouldn't be capable of something as advanced as that. Unless…"_

With this, Illya giggled at her good fortune. This latest development really saves her the trouble of interrogating Shiro later on.

Confident of her win, Illya walked step by step towards her prey.

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><p>Feeling the skin around his wounds, Shiro was surprised to find it surprisingly smooth and healed. However, he hardly had time to marvel at his speedy recovery as he turned his attention back to Illya.<p>

Since Lancer already has his hands full with Saber, he can expect no assistance in taking down the white-haired girl in front of him. She had already displayed that her skill in reinforcement clearly outclasses his. That left Shiro with only one alternative, projection.

Even though the results of projection will be undoubtedly weaker than reinforcement, creating something out of nothing is much more versatile than the prerequisites of reinforcement. Perhaps that can be decisive enough to end this duel. Or so Shiro hoped anyways.

As he thought this, Shiro's foothold slackened for a brief moment. Catching on, Illya immediately pounced towards what she perceived to be a moment of weakness.

"Time Alter—Revised Accel!"

A bright light erupted from Shiro's back, taking the form of the Emiya family crest. In that instant, the world seemed to slow down for Shiro, enabling him to easily evade Illya's surprised assault. Leaping up, Shiro positioned himself behind her blind spot…and was assaulted immediately by a sharp pain that sent his body into a brief but painful spasm.

Innate Time Control—the fruit of countless generations worth of research by the Emiya family. It works by isolating the time within a specific boundary, in this case, Shiro's body. Within this bounded field, Shiro can slow or speed up the time in his body with no repercussions.

Of course, once the bounded field collapses, the natural world will seek to correct the inconsistencies made by this ability—the process usually involves damage to various parts of his body.

While Kiritsugu mastered this ability to an extent and passed it on to him, Shiro still did not dare use the ability any more than he has to. In this case, he sped up his body functions by only 50%. Even so, the after effects were still incredibly hard to ignore.

Gritting his teeth, Shiro focused his remaining prana to form a typical katana. While the make was extremely shoddy and the edge was bound to shatter at any moment, Shiro only needed enough time to give Illya a clean whack to the head with the flat of his blade. Admittedly, the manoeuvre would've been much easier with a different weapon, but the sword was the weapon that Shiro had the most experience with, and the one he can reproduce the fastest.

At this point, Illya was still in a daze from Shiro's latest escape. With no time to defend or to use her command mantra, Shiro's strike was definitely going to connect.

Shiro heard the attack a moment before it happened, but it was too late. By the time his mind had processed what he heard, two curved hunting daggers had already embedded themselves in his back.

Sinking on his knees, his projected blade shattered into minute pieces as the pain quickly consumed his consciousness.

Lancer's worried yell was the last thing he heard before blacking out.

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><p>Author's Note: See? Shiro isn't as useless as can be :D<p>

Get ready for a battle royale in the next chapter, so stay tuned!

As always, review, PM, comment and so on.


	9. IX The Mind

**AN:** Sorry for the late update, but I just haven't found the motivation to keep writing this story lately, what with life being as busy as it is.

Anyways, I hope I can recompense with this (comparatively) longer chapter, so here goes! =]

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><p>As the scene unfolded before her, Rin felt herself sink lower and lower into her mansion's leather sofa. How had she been placed into this situation?<p>

Her orders had been very straight-forward and, in her opinion, left no room for insubordination: observe the fight and analyze the battle strategies of each party involved in the duel at the Emiya household. Archer was, under no circumstances, allowed to participate in the brawl. After all, the Fifth Heaven's Feel was still at its early stage—there were simply too many unknowns to make any rash moves.

In order to reinforce this, she had even applied a shared perception spell to her servant. Considered as a failsafe, the spell would allow her to see what Archer saw and hear what Archer heard, essentially giving her full knowledge (and therefore, control) over his actions. Her plan was supposed to be flawless and it was…at least until Archer decided to project a pair of hunting blades and lobbed them at one of the fighting masters.

The way Rin saw it, Archer had disappointed her in three ways. First of all, there was his insubordination; the man had a huge ego, and the Archer class's _Independent Action _certainly did not help.

Secondly, the master that Archer had struck down was right about to land a decisive blow against the Einzbern homunculus. Had he waited a few more seconds, Archer could've removed two birds with a single stone.

Finally, there was the matter of who he struck down. Now that Archer (and by extension, Rin) focused his eyes on the boy, she could see clearly that the boy was someone she recognized from school: Emiya Shiro. While Rin certainly did not entertain any love for her school's resident repairman, she still knew him to be a kind classmate—his unnecessary death would no doubt leave a bad taste in her mouth.

And he most certainly was dead. Not even factoring in the damage he must've sustained in the battle against the Einzbern master, Archer's swords had gouged deep wounds in his back; it must've killed him immediately.

Her main concern now though, was Archer's unpredictability. No one had seen him yet, and if he returned immediately, all would be well. If he chooses to stay any longer though, Lancer, Saber or some other servant observing the fight would undoubtedly find him.

Once again, Rin found herself starring at the three command mantras etched on the back of her hand. She didn't want to use it so soon…but it doesn't seem like she has a choice.

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><p>"You called for me, Grandfather?"<p>

"Yes, come in."

With Zouken's permission, Sakura slid open the wooden door, and walked into her Grandfather's study. This was the place where the condensation of hundreds of years of research by the Makiri, and later Matou, resided. Hundreds, if not thousands of tomes laid on their respective shells; most hadn't been touched in decades. In fact, it was a gross understatement to call it a study; rather, it was an ancient library, and one of the few ties that the Matou household still had with the world of magecraft.

Needless to say, Sakura was no stranger to the room; she often came on the behest of her Grandfather to learn the skills necessary in becoming a master. However, she could never shake off the feeling of dread that accompanies each visit, try as she might.

For her part, Sakura was looking even frailer than her usual self. The bags underneath her eyes had deepened as the result of the recent training and subsequent sleepless nights, while her naturally black hair had faded to an even lighter shade of violet. But Matou Zouken cared about none of this. Sakura was, first and foremost, her tool—she only needed to survive a few more days to serve his purpose.

Stepping in front of the old geezer, Sakura stood silently, with her back straight and face down, listening as Zouken croaked out his orders.

"The first blood of the Grail Wars is about to be spilled my girl. And we Matou's need to make our move accordingly."

"Yes Grandfather."

"I have been observing the entire fight with my worms, and it appears to me that the Einzbern's master will be troublesome to deal with."

Images of Illya's brute strength, and Saber's abilities flashed in Zouken's eyes as he said this. Pausing to catch his breath, Zouken continued.

"It's a perfect opportunity to strike now, with Lancer keeping Saber busy. Therefore, my girl, my first order to you will be this: send Berserker and kill the Einzbern's master. Would that be fine, Sakura?"

Zouken's voice gained a sardonic edge towards the end of his orders, and Sakura knew this. After all, asking for her opinion was a formality that he seldom took. Perhaps his mind truly was deteriorating with extreme old age.

Of course, none of this was a concern to Sakura. In the Matou household, Zouken's words were law, no matter how unusual they may seem.

"Yes Grandfather, I will send her immediately."

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><p>Kneeling solemnly, Lancer laid his master chest-first on the ground, hoping that this little bit of comfort will help Shiro pull through. As it is though, things were looking grim. While the twin daggers had been removed from Shiro's back, and he had miraculously stopped bleeding, the surface area of the wound was still too great—an infection now would be fatal.<p>

Even as Lancer carefully probed Shiro's wounds with one of his hands, his other stayed at his sides, gripping his spears. While Saber had backed away after the sneak attack and was now standing guard over her dazed master, Shiro's mysterious assailant was still no where to be found. Lancer's guard could not be dropped.

The rustling of leaves immediately snapped Lancer into attention. Turning his head, Lancer's eyes barely made out the contours of a man through the dense foliage; a moment later though, that man had already stepped out of his cover and walked before them.

Dressed in a red overcoat and black plate armour, the white-haired stranger did not radiate any supernatural aura; the only thing especially noteworthy about him was the hard glint in his eyes. However, what really caught Lancer's attention were the two swords he held in each hand. After this, it didn't take a genius to figure out Shiro's attacker.

Standing up to his full height, Lancer resumed his fighting stance, wary against anything suspicious that the servant might attempt. Smirking at the tension in the air, Archer addressed the four in an even tone, "I don't have any interest in fighting you. Just step away from the boy and everything will be fine."

Narrowing his eyes, Lancer could barely suppress an incredulous scoff. It was well known by all that Servants can only maintain their presence in the world by siphoning mana from Masters. Servants need and rely on their master and so, protect them. To step away from Shiro now would be akin to nailing his own coffin.

"And have my master killed? No thank you."

At this, Archer's smirk disappeared, replaced instead by a rather sad-looking smile.

"Well, can't say I didn't try."

Archer covered the distance between him and Lancer in an instant. Lifting his arms, he proceeded to stab downwards with one of his blades. Expectantly, Lancer moved to parry his blow with his red spear.

But was interrupted by a flash of blue and silver. To Archer's surprise, the blade that blocked his wasn't Lancer's, but Saber's. Leaping gingerly back to his original spot, Archer eyed the pair before giving a cynical laugh.

"I'm not sure if you realize this, Saber, but I have no interest in fighting you. Wouldn't it be much better if I finish Lancer off for you? Wouldn't that save you a whole lot of trouble?"

Shaking her head, the blonde responded, "I am a knight before I am anything else. I will not allow you to disturb the duel between Lancer and myself." Her words earned her a grateful smile from Lancer.

At this, a little girl's voice piped up from behind Saber as well. Apparently, Illya had recovered from her previous state.

"Besides, Shiro is my prey. It really won't be much fun if you end up killing him instead of me. So, I'm sorry but you're just going to have to die." Illya then gave a mock curtsy, as if emphasising just how "sorry" she was.

Pointing her invisible blade at Archer, Saber's clear voice rang out once more. "This is your last chance Archer. Leave right now, or Lancer and I will both be your oppone..."

Saber's eyes widened suddenly, as if her instincts had picked something up. Leaping up from her position in front of Lancer, she backflipped in the air and landed in front of her master, arms raised. Not a moment too soon either.

Metal clashed against metal, the force of the impact pushing Saber back a few meters, almost making her crash into the master she was striving to protect.

In Saber's previous spot stood the lithe figure of a violet-haired maiden. Though her face was obscured by a grooved visor, her beauty and divine aura was unmistakeable. In fact, her complexion and figure gave her the appearance of a minor-goddess; a benign one at that.

But all this goodness was considerably offset by her abnormal snarling and awkward body movements—there was no doubt in Saber's mind that she was the Berserker servant of this war.

The maiden took a step away from the King of Knights, then another. Her movements would be graceful and nonchalant, if not for the noises she constantly makes as she walks. None of this mattered for Saber though. Instead, she kept her trained eyes on the muscles of Berserker's lower legs, watching for any abnormalities.

The skin on the nape of Saber's neck prickled slightly. And then she leapt.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>And its done. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed envisioning the scenes and actions! :D

Anyways, please rate, review, PM, anything so that I can hear from you. Really, that's what keeps me motivated to write (well, asides from Nasu's AMAZING universe).

Hmm, I might add more if things turn up, but this is it...for now... xD

Oh, actually, I do have something I want to add.

As you probably realized by now, I took a few...liberties in this rendition of HF5, and I would really like input on that. My deviations shouldn't be too far-fetched right?


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